May 2018

Newsletter

A word from Richard

Hello everyone.

Here we are now in May and in May we can start planting Winter vegies. Yippee.

I took my Harley out early for a run to the Blackboy Hill ANZAC Service. It was so quiet and so many people paying their respects. It was very moving and emotional time for all attending. We are so lucky today in Australia. Lest We Forget.

Back to School go all the kids so the traffic will thicken up again. Remember to keep hydrated as this will aid in better concentration levels and a safer journey.

My daughter Leah just got back from an amazing action packed School Tour to New Zealand (North Island) for a Science and Cultural Excursion. Wow they sure got to do and see some fantastic things. NZ is known to be the extreme sports capital of the world and it sure wore her out. Such a lucky bunch of kids.

Richard Scholes

Director

West Coast Water Filter Man

Cactus roots inspire creation of water-retaining material

During rare desert rainfalls, cacti waste no time sopping up and storing a storm's precious precipitation.

Like all living things, cacti need water to survive. Yet they thrive in some of the world's driest places. The key is the plant's shallow, but extensive root system that quickly soaks up rainfall, which seldom penetrates more than just a few inches into the soil. During droughts, the roots dehydrate and shrink, creating air gaps that prevent water from escaping back into the soil.

Intrigued by these traits, Sang Joon Lee, Hyejeong Kim and Junho Kim wanted to create a durable material that could effectively absorb and store water, without changing other physical properties.

The research team sought to replicate the key features of the cactus root system. To imitate the cactus root and its outer covering, they made a material composed of cellulose fibers, agarose cyrogel and microparticles. Then, they made a cylindrical-shaped gel and freeze-dried it to form a structure that mimics the layered composition of cactus root epidermis.

Laboratory tests suggest that the resulting cactus-root-inspired material (CRIM) is capable of absorbing water nearly 930 times faster than it loses through evaporation. The researchers say the mixture of cellulose fibers, microparticles and cryogel is adjustable for particular needs.

For example, adding water-repellant microparticles to this system could produce CRIMs useful in oil separation and other oil-based engineering processes. They conclude that CRIMs could eventually have a host of applications in agriculture, cosmetics and medicine.

Water facts

The Tasman Sea (Te Tai-o-Rehua :Maori)

This is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about 2,000 kilometres across and about 2,800 kilometres from north to south.

The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who was the first recorded European to encounter New Zealand and Tasmania.

The Tasman Sea is informally referred to in both Australian and New Zealand as The Ditch; crossing the Ditch means travelling to Australia from New Zealand, or vice versa. The diminutive term "The Ditch" used for the Tasman Sea is comparable to referring to the North Atlantic Ocean as "The Pond"

Next Issue :- 4. Alleviates Heartburn and Indigestion.

Community support

The Salvation Army's Christmas Appeal

The Bikers Charity Ride are " doing it for the kids" in the annual Perth Teddy bears' big day out; which raises funds for The Salvation Army's Christmas Appeal. Richard loves this yearly ride on his Harley laden with teddy bears. www.salivation.org.au

SIDS and Kids

Anglicare WA

Anglicare WA is a not for profit community services agency. They provide 57 services from 35 locations across the state. The West Coast Water Filter Man is proud to help and sponsor the Anglicare Knit in Day. www.anglicarewa.org.au